This invention relates generally to fabricating machine parts and, more particularly, to network-based methods and systems for fabricating components.
Entities that are in the business of fabricating a variety of machine parts typically utilize mechanical drawings in the fabrication of each part. The mechanical drawings describe each part in detail, and may illustrate, for example, the overall dimensions of each part, hole locations, notch locations, bend locations, and corresponding dimensions for each hole, notch and bend. A fabricator may utilize the mechanical drawings to superimpose or lay out each part on a sheet of metal used in the fabrication of each part. In at least some known applications, after laying the parts out, each fabricating machine is then programmed to cut, punch, notch, and bend the material to the proper specifications for the component being fabricated. The fabricator must perform these steps for each part, and as such the fabricator must continuously repeat the steps for each part to be fabricated. Accordingly, the fabricating machines are continuously programmed and reprogrammed with the different fabricating programs for each part.
Continuously repeating the lay out of each part to be fabricated, and continuously programming and reprogramming the fabricating machines that fabricate each part may be quite time consuming, and, as a result, may be very costly. Moreover, such repetition may also result in variations in each part fabricated. Additionally, because the emphasis is on producing components, such systems typically do not optimize the fabrication of these parts by combining certain parts to be fabricated on a single piece of raw material such that scrap material is reduced.
In one aspect, a method for fabricating at least one component using a server system is provided. The server system is coupled to a centralized database and at least one client system. The method includes receiving fabrication data for at least one component from a client system, receiving a component order from a client system, storing fabrication data and component order data in the centralized database, creating routing operations for fabricating each ordered component, creating Numerical Control (NC) code for fabricating each ordered component, and fabricating each ordered component.
In another aspect, a network based system for fabricating at least one component is provided. The system includes a client system, a centralized database for storing information, and a server system. The server system is configured to be coupled to the client system and the database. The server system is further configured to receive fabrication data for at least one component from a client system, receive a component order from a client system, store fabrication data and the component order in the centralized database, create routing operations for fabricating each ordered component, create Numerical Control (NC) code for fabricating each ordered component, and fabricate each ordered component.
In another aspect, a computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for fabricating at least one component is provided. The program includes a code segment that receives fabrication data and then receives a component order from a client system, stores fabrication data and component order data in a centralized database, creates routing operations for fabricating each ordered component, creates Numerical Control (NC) code for fabricating each ordered component, transmits routing operations and NC code to at least one NC machine for fabricating each ordered component, and tracks the fabrication of each ordered component.